The Mermaid
by ChristyK
Summary: The boys hunt a mermaid who is killing men in a small Oregon town
1. Chapter 1

And here's yet another one of my stupid little fics, I hope you like it.

**The Mermaid**

**Oregon ---One week earlier**

The man pulled up next to the lagoon and parked then looked over at the woman he had met only a few hours earlier at a local bar. She was beautiful with long black hair and blue eyes. Even though they had only just met he already felt like he was falling in love with her. She hadn't spoken at all and he thought maybe she couldn't, but that didn't matter to him. Ten minutes after they had met she had grabbed his hand and pulled him out to his car then pointed in the direction she wanted him to go. Fifteen minutes later they ended up at the lagoon. They both got out of the car and walked hand in hand down to the pond. She suddenly let go of his hand and ran ahead of him encouraging him to follow her as she ran into the water and stood waist deep motioning for him to come to her. He didn't even hesitate as he dove into the water and surfaced next to her. She smiled and took his hand then led him deeper and deeper into the water.

"Hey, it's getting pretty deep, maybe we should go back." The man was starting to get nervous, he could swim, that wasn't the problem, but he didn't like the idea of swimming at night in an unfamiliar pond.

She only smiled at him and pulled him deeper. The man hesitated only a few seconds before willingly following her. She pulled him close and kissed him as she pulled him even deeper into the dark water. He responded to her kisses, his fear momentarily forgotten until he felt a cold scaly object sweep by his legs. He pushed her away as he tried to look into the dark water.

"What the hell was that?" He spun in a circle expecting to see a large fish swimming near him, but what he saw was even more horrifying. The woman's face had turned into an ugly mask of scales and slime. His eyes widened in horror as he opened his mouth to scream, but before he could she reached out and grabbed him and pulled him down deep into the murky water.

**Present time – a back country road**

Dean drove while Sam read out loud from the computer printout he had printed earlier in the morning.

"Sounds like we might have us a mermaid." Dean said as he listened to Sam.

"Really?" Sam had never hunted a mermaid before and didn't know much about them, only what he had read in their Dad's journal. "It says here that all were men and that all the bodies were found along the shoreline, drowned, without a mark on them." He read awhile then looked at Dean. "It says that three of the men were last seen leaving a bar with a woman and never seen again."

"No marks huh?" Dean glanced over at his brother. "A mermaid will pull you under then kiss you and suck the life right out of your body. …The men…were they in the same bar?"

Sam read a little then looked up.

"No, two were at Flanigan's Pub and the third was at The Tap Room." Sam looked at Dean. "But both of the bars were in a town called Settler's Grove which is located near a large lagoon with a narrow channel that leads out to the ocean."

"Do you remember that time we were hunting that mermaid with Dad?" When Sam shook his head Dean added. "Guess you were too young."

"What happened?"

"Men were disappearing from a shore town in Southern California and Dad took us down there to figure out what was going on. At first Dad thought maybe it was just a human serial killer but one day we were out on the beach and we heard a man screaming for help. Dad shined the light out into the water and we saw this man and woman way out in the water fighting. The woman…well, at first she looked really pretty, but then her face began to morph into this ugly, scaly looking thing. The man was fighting her trying to get away but she grabbed him and pulled him down…It was then I saw the tail. She flipped over in the water holding onto the man and this huge purplish green tail rose out of the water then sank beneath it along with the man. I remember Dad jumped in the ocean and tried to swim out to them but he was too late…they were both gone." Dean gave a small sad smile. "I remember screaming at Dad to come back…man was I scared, I thought that thing was going to get him. But he told me to watch you and stay back away from the water." Dean glanced over at Sam. "You must have been about two or three, and you kept crying for Dad." Dean smiled. "You were even a brat back then…but Dad was fine and a few minutes later he came out of the water."

"Did Dad ever actually kill a mermaid?"

"Two in fact. He and Bobby talked to some other hunters and found out how to kill them…salt plug to the heart, either with a gun or a knife with a salt plug attached to the end of it. It dissolves their heart, sort of like what salt does to a snail…kills them almost instantly. In fact Dad even had special knives made up that have an opening filled with a salt plug at the end of it….Stick it in them and poof…no more mermaid."

"Well let's hope if we find one we can use the gun and not get close enough to have to use the knives."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you like it so far.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter two

They decided to take a look at the pond before looking for a motel. They followed the sign to Widow's Peak Lagoon and soon were sitting in their car next to it.

"Looks harmless enough." Sam said as he looked out over the quiet pond.

"You should know by now looks can be deceiving." Dean said opening his door and getting out of the car. Sam followed him as they walked down to the edge of the pond.

"Smell that?" Dean said sniffing the air.

"Yeah."

A slight salty smell filled the air.

"Perfect conditions for a mermaid. She has her pick of the men who hang out here fishing or at the bars plus she has full access to the ocean water when she needs a quick pick me up."

They both stood looking out over the peaceful looking pond knowing full well what evil might live beneath it.

**Settler's Grove**

They unloaded their bags at a local motel then headed to Flanagan's Pub where they sat at a table sizing up the patrons.

"What do you say we play a little pool and get to know the locals?" Dean got up and picked up a pool stick. He then put a quarter down on the pool table and nodded to the two men who looked up from their game. "You boys don't mind a little friendly competition do you?" He asked giving his most charming smile.

Sam sat back in his chair; he always enjoyed watching his brother hustle pool. He was just as good as Dean was at the game but it was more fun to watch his brother play, plus this way he could watch his back in case anyone objected to him taking their money.

Dean did what he usually did; he deliberately lost a few but won more. As he played he questioned the men about the area.

"My brother and I were thinking of buying some property up this way, any suggestions?" He asked as he hit a ball into the pocket.

"There's a nice piece of land outside of town on the east side."

"Well actually we were looking to buy some land out near the pond; we both do a lot of fishing. But we heard that there were a lot of strange drownings out there. Do you know anything about that?"

"Yeah, we have a couple floaters turn up every now and then. Guys get drunk, fall in the water, it happens."

"I heard there might be more to it then that. I heard that some of the men might have been murdered."

"Well I don't know anything about that. You'll have to ask Alex Grady about it. He's really into fishing and hangs down at the pond all the time. If anyone heard anything about the drownings being suspicious he would have."

"Does a lot of fishing huh?"

"Yeah, he hangs there all the time when he's not working."

"How is the fishing down there?"

"Well just about two weeks ago Alex said he saw the biggest fish he ever saw in the pond. …Well actually he said he only saw the tail, but it was gigantic."

"Big fish huh?" Dean said glancing over at Sam. "Did it have a purplish green tail?"

"He didn't say, but he did say it must have come in from the ocean. We get all kinds of fish out there. Salt water, fresh water, it doesn't seem to matter." The man gave a little laugh. "But if you're thinking of fishing up that way I'd be careful. Grady isn't going to like it if you try to move in on his fish. That man's really competitive and mean as a son of a bitch. He ain't going to take kindly to some stranger trying to move in on his territory."

Dean smiled.

"We're not trying to move in on him, I'd just like to talk to him sometime…Do you know where I can find him?"

"Andy will find you…I'll tell him you were asking questions about the pond and the drownings and if he wants to talk to you, he'll find you."

**Later that evening**

The brothers went back to the motel where they picked up their guns and knives that were already doctored with salt plugs and headed back to the pond. Once there they rented a boat from a local shop and headed out into the water.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Sam asked.

"Fish jumping out of the water."

"Huh?"

"When a mermaid is swimming in the area the fish tend to jump out of its way, it's as if they know they're evil."

"I always expected a mermaid to be beautiful and friendly, you know, like what the movies show."

"Don't be fooled Sammy boy, that's just an illusion. These things are mean and evil and ugly as hell. They make you think they're beautiful, that's how they get up close to their victim. But once they morph back into their true form it's too late, they've got you."

"Do they always drown their victims?"

"Yeah, always in the water where they live….When they're out of the water they look human, you'd never be able to spot one. They keep clothes hidden on the beach and after they change into them they look exactly like any other girl, the only difference is they can't speak, they don't have vocal chords. They then lure their intended victim back to their home and kill them in the water."

Sam turned his head toward a noise coming from the water.

"Dean …look…" He pointed to a school of fish jumping out of the water halfway across the pond.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter three

Dean turned the boat's engine off then began to row quietly toward the disturbance in the water. They both strained their eyes trying to see in the darkness. Dean stopped rowing as they got closer and put the oars in the boat letting it drift slowly forward.

Sam shined their large spotlight into the water. At first he didn't see anything, then his mouth dropped slightly open when he spotted her.

"Dean…" He said softly as he watched the mermaid swim below the boat. Dean climbed over to Sam and they both watched as the mermaid turned onto her back and looked up at them. Sam sucked in his breath as he looked at her face.

"She's beautiful." He couldn't believe this was the same creature that Dean had told him was ugly and evil.

"It's an illusion Sam, don't believe it and don't look into her eyes." Dean cautioned him. He too could see a beautiful half human half fish swimming below them looking up at them innocently. He turned away from the sight and began checking his gun.

But the warning was too late for Sam; he was already mesmerized by her beautiful eyes and enchanting smile. He watched as the woman began thrashing around under the water as if she was in trouble and he instinctively reached out to help her. She reached up to grab his hand but Dean saw what was happening and pulled his brother back just as a scaly, slimy hand came out of the water.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean asked as he pushed Sam away from the edge of the boat.

Sam sat in the bottom of the boat looking up at his brother.

"I….I don't know…I just…"

"Sam I just got done telling you that thing isn't what you see. That thing will kill you and never look back." Dean looked into the water then swore when he saw that she was gone.

"I'm sorry Dean….It was weird….I looked into her eyes for just a second…and…and it was as if I couldn't take my eyes off of her…She was beautiful Dean."

"She makes you see what she wants you to see then when she's got you hooked…bang…she kills you."

Sam climbed back into a seat and looked out over the water.

"I wonder if there are more of them?"

"I don't think so. I remember Dad telling me they're territorial and sometimes will kill one of their own if they venture into their water."

"How long can she stay out of the water?"

"All night….but they must return to the water before daybreak or they'll die."

"So they only come out at night?"

"Yeah, that's why most of her victims are bar patrons. She probably slips into the bar and picks someone up then leads them back to the water."

"Why does she kill them? What does she get out of it?"

"We don't really know. Dad thought it gave them some kind of energy almost like a food source."

"So what do we do now?"

"The only thing we can. Hang around the bars and keep our eyes open. Hopefully she'll show up."

**The next night**

They once more stopped at Flanigan's Pub hoping that Alex Grady would show up. They were hoping that he would tell them something about the fish he had seen and where he had seen it.

It was just about closing time when four men walked over to their table. The men were all big, rugged looking men who didn't seem too friendly.

"I heard you were looking for me." One of them men stepped forward.

"Alex Grady?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"I heard you saw some strange looking fish out at the pond."

Grady said nothing only stood there looking back and forth between the two brothers.

"Did it have a purplish green tail?" Sam asked.

"What do you want with it?" Grady said glaring at Sam.

"We were just wondering where you saw it."

"That's really none of your business."

"All we want to do is take a look at it." Dean said trying to take Grady's attention off of his brother.

"That fish is mine, and if you boys know what's good for you you'll stay away from her."

Dean glanced at Sam then looked back at Grady.

"You know about her don't you?"

Grady began tapping his unopened beer bottle in the palm of his hand threateningly.

"You keep away from her, she's mine."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with."

"And you do?"

"I've seen them before; they're not what you think they are."

Grady leaned in close to Dean.

"I'm only going to tell you this once…You stay away from her. If you or your friend makes any attempt to capture her…I'll kill you both.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for taking the time to review; I'm glad you like it so far.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter four

"Capture her! I don't want to capture her…I want to kill her!"

"You ain't killing nothing buddy! That thing is going to make me a lot of money."

"Don't tell me you're planning on displaying or selling her"

"What I do with her is my business…not yours."

"If you try to capture her she'll kill you."

"I'll take my chances."

"That thing isn't at all what she appears to be. You think she's some fairy tale version of a mermaid don't you? Beautiful, sweet…well it isn't. She's evil and isn't at all what she appears to be."

"Then what is she?"

"She's a creature that only appears to be beautiful, in truth she's more fish then human, her real face is covered in scales and slime. The face you see is only an illusion, and the only reason she associates with humans is to kill them. That thing needs to be killed before more people die."

"You're not about to fool me with that line of crap. I've seen her; she's nothing like what you describe. You want her for yourself but she belongs to me, I saw her first. I've been tracking her for weeks trying to find out where she sleeps. She's mine….and you boys better leave her alone."

Grady and his friends stormed angrily out of the bar.

Sam gave Dean a little smile.

"Well that went well."

"The guy's an idiot; he's blinded by the thought of all the money he's going to make if he captures her. He's more then likely going to end up dead, along with his friends."

"So what do we do?"

"He said he's been tracking her so I saw we go out to the pond tonight and see what he's up to. Maybe he knows where her lair is."

**Later that night – out by the pond**

The brother's parked the Impala down the road a little ways and walked to the pond, one carrying a gun, the other a knife, both salted and ready to use.

They kept hidden from both the road and the pond as they tried to see if they could find any signs of Grady.

"After our conversation back at the bar I'm sure he's out there somewhere." Dean said as he peered out over the dark water.

"If he is he isn't using any lights."

"He probably doesn't have to. I'm sure he knows this pond like the back of his hand."

"Maybe she's not even here, maybe she's out looking for a victim."

"Well then we just wait here all night till she comes back. It'll be a lot easier if we can catch her before she goes into the water."

"But she can enter the water anywhere. What's to say she'll enter it here?"

"Just a guess. This clearing is right off the road and as long as she thinks she's safe there would be no reason for her to go through the woods to reach the pond."

Suddenly Sam lifted his hand to silence his brother.

"There…" He said nodding toward a dark shape in the water. It was a boat with three people in it. It was about half way out and heading toward an outcropping of rocks that hung over the pond. "Do you think that's him?"

"Probably….let's just keep an eye on him and see what he does."

They watched for the next couple of minutes as the men threw nets into the water then sat back in the boat to wait.

"What are we going to do if those jerks actually catch her?"

"We'll wait till they bring her to shore…then kill her."

Just then they heard a noise at the edge of the water. They both looked over and could see a deer walking near the edge of the pond knocking stones into the water; the sound was amplified on the quiet night.

"Damn…"Dean swore softly when he saw the search light on the boat turn on and shine in their direction. Before they could react gunshots rang out and both brothers dived for cover.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he looked over to Sam.

"He got my leg." Sam said wincing in pain as he wrapped both hands over a missing patch of skin above his ankle.

"That idiot's going to kill us! We got to get out of here!" Dean made his way over to his brother then put Sam's arm over his shoulder and helped his injured brother toward the woods as bullets continued to rain down on them.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter five

Once Dean had Sam out of the line of fire he rolled up his brother's pants leg and examined the wound.

"How bad is it?" Sam asked as he leaned over trying to see the wound.

"It's hard to see in the dark but it doesn't look too bad. I won't be able to tell for sure till I get you back to the motel. There might be a fragment of the bullet in it but I should be able to take care of it once we're out of here." Dean said as he wiped his bloody hands on his pants.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, he was glad it wasn't bad enough that he'd have to go to the hospital to have it removed, they didn't need the cops questioning them about how he was shot. He looked out over the lake and could see the boat getting nearer.

"Dean…" He put his hand on his brother's shoulder and nodded toward the water. "We better get out of here."

Dean quickly tied a handkerchief around Sam's ankle to slow the bleeding then put his brother's arm over his shoulder and helped him down the street and to the car. Once there, they got in the car and sped back toward the motel.

**The motel**

Dean had Sam sit on the edge of the bathtub with his leg dangling in the hot soapy water while he went out to the car to retrieve the first aide kit. He grabbed the kit and hurried back to his brother. First he handed Sam a bottle of whiskey then gently took his brother's leg out of the water and dried the wound with a clean gauze pad. Sam took a couple of swigs from the bottle hoping to ease the pain.

"Ouch! Take it easy!" Sam yelped when his brother began poking around the wound.

"Oh shut up and hold still." Dean said as he slowly stuck a thin metal probe into the hole in Sam's leg trying to locate the fragment.

"Damn it Dean hurry up!" Sam squeezed his eyes shut as he took another swallow of whiskey.

"I can feel it." Dean said as he took a thin, sharp tweezer and inserted it into the wound next to the probe.

Sam gritted his teeth and grimaced in pain as Dean slowly pulled the tweezers out with the small bullet fragment.

"Got it!" Dean smiled proudly as he held up the fragment for Sam to see. He hated hurting his brother but he'd never let him know that. "You're such a baby." He said when Sam took another swallow of whiskey to deaden the pain.

"Oh yeah! Well let me shoot you in the leg and then dig out the bullet and see how you feel."

"Nah…I'll pass."

The anger he had tried to suppress till he made sure his brother was okay now rushed to the surface as he helped Sam to the bed then began wrapping his ankle.

"I can't believe that son of a bitch actually shot at us. The bastard could have killed us."

"We don't even know for sure that it was him Dean. It could have just been some poacher after the deer."

"He shined the light right on us Sam, it wasn't the deer he was after." Dean finished wrapping Sam's leg then walked over and picked up his gun.

"Maybe it was just a bunch of kids." Sam looked nervously at the gun in his brother's hand. "Don't go off half cocked Dean, not when you don't know for sure it was him."

"Oh it was him, I know it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Pay our friend a little visit." Dean said as he opened the phone book lying on the desk between the beds and looked up Grady's address.

"Dean all you're going to do is get yourself in trouble."

"The bastard shot you Sam, I'm not letting it go."" Dean started to head toward the door.

"Well then I'm going with you." Sam stood up then winced in pain as he tried to put pressure on his injured leg. Dean quickly grabbed him and lowered him back to the bed.

"You're not going anywhere." Dean looked at his brother. "Don't worry, I won't kill him." He said as he hurried out of the door before Sam could follow him.

**Grady's house**

Dean approached the dark house cautiously. He put his hand on the hood of Grady's truck and could feel that it was still warm. It was obvious that he had only returned a short time ago. He crept over to an open window and looked inside. He then gave a quiet whistle trying to attract any dog that might be in the house. When none barked he was satisfied that there wasn't any and crawled into the window. It was a one level house and he crept from room to room till he found the bedroom. He could see Grady sleeping on his side and was relieved to see that he was alone. He crept next to the bed and put the barrel of his gun against Grady's cheek. Grady rolled over and looked up at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"You shot my brother you son of a bitch!"

Grady didn't deny it but glared back at Dean.

"You should have taken my word and forgot about the girl."

"I'm only going to say this once; forget about the mermaid…and if you hurt my brother again…I'll kill you." Dean raised the gun then brought it down hard across Grady's cheek.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Once more thanks for the reviews, I appreciate each of them.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter six

An hour later Dean walked into the motel room. Sam was sitting in a chair anxiously waiting for him.

"So?" Sam asked both relieved that Dean was back but also worried about what he might have done.

"Don't worry, he's still breathing." Dean said as he took his gun out from his waistband and put it on the table.

"It was him out on the pond?"

"Yep."

"Damn it Dean don't you ever go off by yourself like that again. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"What am I suppose to do Sam, leave some idiot take shots at us and walk away?"

"We're already wanted by the law Dean, or have you forgotten that? If you start trouble and we get busted…"

"Sam I warned him, it's over with…Don't get your panties in a wad over it." Dean walked into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower and hit the bed; I suggest you do the same."

**The next day**

They slept into the early afternoon then got something to eat and headed out to the pond. Dean had wrapped Sam's leg tight and he could walk on it if he took his time but it was painful and Dean insisted he use the crutches that they kept in their car, at least for a few days till the wound had time to heal a little. They stood at the pond looking out over the lake toward the outcropping of rocks.

"They were out near those rocks; they must think she hangs around there."

"So what are we going to do?"

"What we've been doing. Hang out at the bar, then hang out here at night and hope we spot her."

"Now that she knows we saw her won't she change her appearance?" Sam asked.

"Nope…once they morph into human form that's the form they keep forever, they can't chance. But remember Sam if we find her try not to look directly into her eyes, that's how she gets you. One look into her eyes and you'll see what she wants you to see."

"What if she doesn't show up at the bar…or even here at the pond?"

"Then I'm going swimming."

"What? Are you nuts?"

"I'm thinking she probably is hold up somewhere in an underwater cave below those rocks. If I can find her, I can kill her."

"Or she'll kill you…I say we wait around here then when she shows, blast her with a salt gun. If she doesn't show tonight, then we come back tomorrow."

"That could take days, plus we don't know if she'll show up here, she could enter the pond from anywhere."

"Well if you're going in there I'm going with you."

"You got to keep your wound dry Sam. There's a lot of bacteria in the pond and if your leg gets infected…."

"I don't give a damn about my leg. There's no way I'm letting you go in there by yourself, no way."

"Sammy I've handled worse things then her before by myself…"

"Dean you're in her element. You can't breathe underwater, she can. Besides I think it will be much easier to take her while she's in human form."

"We'll see..." Dean said trying to pacify his brother. "Why don't we head on over the bar and see if she shows up"

Sam watched Dean walk back toward the car. He knew his brother was foolish enough to try and take the mermaid by himself which to him was just plain stupid. If Dean thought he was going to go down there by himself he was foolishly mistaken.

**Flanigan's Pub**

They entered the bar and could immediately sense the hostility coming off of the customers. It was obvious that Grady had gotten to the patrons of the bar and turned them against the strangers in town. They couldn't believe the people in the town actually would listen to Grady; he seemed like such a jerk. Maybe they were just afraid of going against him and didn't want to get on his bad side.

They waited till the bar was about to close and when neither Grady or the mermaid appeared they headed back to the pond.

**The Pond**

They sat for hours at the edge of the pond keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It was just about day break and they were ready to pack it in and head back to the motel when they heard a terrified scream coming from the water. Looking across the lake they could barely make out the forms of a man and woman struggling in the water.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again for the reviews. I'm taking vacation next week so I won't be able to post the next chapter till I get back. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter seven

Without hesitation they both took out their knives and dove into the water then swam toward the struggling couple. They had just about reached them when the couple suddenly disappeared under the water. Both brother dove under the water and swam toward the last spot they had seen them.

As the mermaid pulled the man down she put her lips over his mouth and began sucking his life force out of his body, the man struggled briefly then went limp. Sam managed to grab hold of the man's shirt while Dean went after the mermaid. When the mermaid was touched she whipped her tail around hitting Sam hard on his injured ankle. He winced in pain and momentarily let go of the man but quickly recovered and once more grabbed him and headed toward the surface. In the meantime Dean was determined to shove his knife into her heart and began stabbing at her trying to get her to turn around. She suddenly spun around in the water and looked into his eyes. For a few seconds he was mesmerized and lost focus, it was just enough time for the mermaid to react. She grabbed Dean and planted her mouth firmly over his. He tried to react but he could already feel himself growing weak as his life force began to be sucked out of his body. Just as he was about to black out he felt someone grab his arm. Sam managed to pull his brother away from the creature and then pulled him to the surface where he sucked in a much needed breath.

"Dean you okay?" Sam asked as he kept his hand wrapped tight around his brother's wrist in case the mermaid tried to pull him down again.

Dean nodded as he caught his breath.

"Where's the man?" He finally managed to get out.

Sam spun around in a circle looking for the man, he had to let go of him when he saw his brother was in trouble and had lost him.

"Damn!" Sam dived under the water repeatedly trying to find the man's body but it was gone. "I lost him." He told Dean when he finally gave up the search. He blinked back tears realizing that the man was probably dead because he had to let go of him in order to save his brother.

Dean knew Sam had saved his life but by doing so had lost his grip on the man who now was presumed drowned. He knew he would have done the same thing if it was either his brother's or a stranger's life, but he knew it still hurt to know they had to make that choice and a man was now dead because of it. He was just about to thank Sam for saving his life when he saw the blood pooling around his brother.

"Damn it Sammy why didn't you tell me you were hurt? Did she cut you?"

"No….she hit my leg with her tail and opened my cut."

"Well there's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's get out of here."

They swam back to the clearing and walked out of the water. Dean looked down at Sam's leg and could see that the bandage was now saturated with blood.

"Damn her!" Dean swore as he knelt down and unwrapped Sam's leg and could see that blood was now bubbling out of the reopened wound. Dean looked up at Sam. "I'm going to have to stitch it this time, that bitch really ripped it open. He could tell Sam wasn't paying any attention but was looking out at the water. "Sammy?"

"I couldn't save him Dean." Sam said softly. "I tried….I tried but I had to choose…I had to choose between you and him. I couldn't save both."

Dean ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it around Sam's leg before standing up.

"Sam you didn't kill that man, that bitch did…. Don't feel guilty; I'm alive because of your choice."

"I know…I know…I just wish I could have saved both of you."

"Sam you tried, there was nothing you…" Dean stopped in midsentence as a car suddenly swerved off the road and drove over to them.

Grady and four of his friends got out.

"I thought I told you two to stay away from here." He said as he and his friends surrounded the brothers.

"That thing you think is so beautiful just killed another man." Dean said as he kept his eyes on the circling men. He and Sam stood back to back prepared to fight if they had to.

"I don't see a body." Grady said looking around.

"It hasn't washed up yet…but it will."

"How do I know you or your brother didn't kill him?"

"You don't." Dean said meeting Grady's stare.

"That thing almost killed my brother." Sam said. "It's not something you want to mess around with; it's got to be destroyed."

"The mermaid is mine! I've been after her for months and I'm not about to let you two destroy her! I would have thought you would have learned your lesson the other night but apparently you're hard to convince. Maybe me and my boys need to teach you both some respect."

Grady and his friends pulled out knives and began moving closer to the brothers.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Well I'm back from vacation and back to work. YUCK! ….Anyway…thanks for the reviews, hope you like the rest of the story. I just noticed that the site is acting up again so I'm not sure if this will even post or if alerts will go out but I'll try posting anyway and see what happens.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter eight

Just as Grady and his friends moved in a flashing red light interrupted the fight. The knives were quickly put away as a police car pulled into the clearing and an officer got out and walked toward the group.

"What's going on here?" He asked as he shined his light into their faces.

"Nothing officer." Dean said.

"Just having a friendly discussion is all." Sam quickly added.

"Is that true Grady?"

Sam glanced at Dean, the officer obviously knew Grady.

"Yeah Rick, just a friendly discussion."

The officer then shined the light at Dean and Sam moving it up and down their bodies.

"You boys been swimming in the pond?" He asked when he saw their wet clothing. "Didn't you see the sign?" He pointed to a post with a sign pointing out restrictions in the park, including swimming after dark.

"My brother tripped and fell in…" Dean said trying to explain. "He can't swim and I had to jump in after him. … These gentlemen happened to be driving by and stopped to see if they could help."

The officer didn't know whether to believe him or not but since he didn't have any proof he was lying he decided to send them on their way.

"Well let's break it up and head on home, it's late and this park can be dangerous after dark…. There are a lot of places people unfamiliar with the park could get hurt."

"Yes officer." Dean said as he tapped Sam on the arm and handed him his crutches then headed toward the car.

"Hold on a second." The officer shined the light at Sam and saw his bleeding ankle. "What happened?"

"Oh it's nothing…I tripped over my crutches and cut my leg on a rock when I fell in the water."

"Looks like you're bleeding pretty bad, maybe I should run you into the hospital and have it looked at."

"It'll be okay, it's not that bad. I'll clean it up when I get back to the motel."

"Well see that you take care of it before it gets infected."

"I will officer, thanks."

Dean turned around to wait for his brother.

"He'll be fine officer; I'll take care of him."

Grady looked over at the brothers.

"You boys better listen to the officer. Like he said the park is dangerous at night, there are a lot of cliffs and sudden drops offs….A person could get themselves seriously hurt or even killed if they're not careful."

"Thanks, we will." Dean gave Grady a fake smile; he was obviously warning the brothers to stay away. He then nodded to Sam and they got in the care and drove away.

**Motel**

"That was close." Dean said as he helped Sam over to the bed.

"Shouldn't we have told him about the man?"

"There was nothing he could have done Sam, the man's gone." When Sam didn't seem convinced he added. "If we would have said something all it would have done would be to get us involved in an investigation which is something we don't need. … Don't worry…the body will wash up in a few days." Dean said as he cleaned the blood off of Sam's ankle then took a needle and thread out of the first aide kit and began to stitch up the wound. He then put fresh antibiotic ointment on it and rewrapped it. "Try to stay off of it for the rest of the night."

"Thanks." Sam said as he pulled his leg up onto the bed. "Grady's really determined to keep us away from her."

"Yeah, I noticed." Dean gave his brother a little smile. "The man's an idiot Sam."

"Yeah I know, but he's going to get himself or one of his friends killed if he keeps hunting her."

"More then likely." Dean said as he winced then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…you know I could actually feel her sucking my life out of my body. If you hadn't gotten me to the surface…"

"I did save your life didn't I?" Sam said smiling as he made a check mark in the air. "Now let's see …that's the third time I've saved you in less then four months."

"Maybe…but don't forget all the times I've saved your scrawny ass…too numerous to remember."

Sam suddenly turned serious.

"You know Dean one of these days one of us is going to be too late to help the other. One of these days one of us isn't going to make it back from a hunt."

"Well let's hope that day is a long ways off." Dean knew Sam was right, one day their luck would run out. He just hoped it wasn't any day soon.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter nine

They followed the same routine for the next two days, sleeping during the day then heading to the bars at night then to the pond after the bars closed. Grady continued to warn them to stay away from the pond but they managed to avoid any other confrontations with him. Finally on the third day they hit pay dirt. As they left the bar Dean glanced up and spotted the woman they had been looking for about a block away getting into a car with a man and speeding off toward the pond. He ran to his car which was parked down the block and jumped in.

"Come on Sam!" He yelled to his brother who tried to keep up with him on the crutches but lagged behind. "Hurry we'll lose her!"

Sam tossed the crutches down and tried to run but his injured leg held him back and the car was already disappearing out of sight. Dean had no choice but to take off alone or take the chance of losing the car.

"Dean!" Sam shouted his face etched with worry as he watched the Impala fly off into the night.

**The pond**

Dean looked up and down the numerous paths near the woods leading to the pond; he couldn't believe he had lost sight of the car.

"Damn!" He swore as he slammed his hand on the steering wheel.

All he could do was keep searching and hope he would spot the car before it was too late.

He drove around the edge of the pond till he finally saw the car parked down an almost hidden path that led to the water. He quickly checked his gun and quietly got out of his car and followed the path to the pond.

**Flanigan's Pub**

Sam still stood in the parking lot staring down the street in the direction Dean had gone wishing he'd see his brother's car returning. Right now he didn't care whether Dean killed the mermaid or not, all he wanted was his brother standing safe next to him. He knew whenever they separated bad things happened. The only thing he could think of to do was to either hitch a ride or call a cab and have them drop him off at the pond. He knew Dean would be pissed at him but he wasn't about to let his brother deal with the mermaid alone, there were just too many things that could go wrong. He turned around to get his crutches and felt like he had been punched in the stomach when he saw Grady standing behind him holding them. Grady wasn't alone and he and his friends soon began to circle Sam.

"Where's your brother?"

Sam said nothing.

"I asked you where your brother is punk." Grady repeated as he poked Sam in the stomach with the end of the crutch. "Tell us or we'll beat it out of you."

Sam's hand shot out and grabbed the crutch and pulled it away from Grady, he then held it up over his head protectively as he waited for the men to attack.

**The Pond**

Dean quickly but quietly hurried down the path praying he wasn't too late. When he got to the small clearing in front of the pond he saw that the girl was already in the water and was motioning for the man to follow her. The man was just about to walk into the water when Dean walked out of the woods.

"Stay away from her." He warned the man as he walked forward holding the gun out in front of him.

"Whoa!" The man threw his hands up in the air. "Hey if she's your girl I'm sorry…I didn't know…please don't shoot…I'm sorry…."

"That bitch isn't anyone's girl." Dean walked past the man and toward the water, then without hesitation he fired at the girl just as she dived under the water.

"What the hell!" The man stepped backward terrified his eyes on Dean. The bullet missed its mark and instead of piercing her heart it glanced off her arm.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean shouted as he once more took aim. This time he and the man both watched as a large tail broke the surface of the water then disappeared beneath it. The mermaid was gone. Dean looked over at the man who stood looking at the water, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open.

"What the hell was that?" The man finally managed to get out.

"Your worse nightmare pal." Was all Dean said as he headed back towards his car.

**Flanigan's Pub**

Dean drove back to the bar expecting to see Sam either still in the parking lot or back in the bar, he wasn't either place. He stood in the parking lot looking around. Had Sam gone back to the motel? He didn't think so. He knew his brother well and he knew Sam would be worried. He continued looking around as a sick feeling came over him. It was the same feeling he had when Sam had gone missing before. He should have waited for him and never had left him alone. It was then he saw one of Sam's crutches lying under a car, he reached down and picked it up….The end of it was covered in blood.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks once more for the reviews.

**The Mermaid **

Chapter ten

"Grady!" Dean shouted as he stormed into the bar. "Where are you you bastard!"

He walked around the dark bar going from table to table hoping to find Grady or one of his friends sitting at one of them.

"He's not here." The bartender shouted over to him.

"If you see him you tell him I'm looking for him and if he hurts my brother….he's dead!"

Dean slammed his hand against the door frame in frustration as he exited the building. He jumped in his car and sped over to Grady's house. He then ran up to the porch and kicked the door in.

"Grady!" Dean went from room to room. "I'm going to kill you you son of a bitch!" When he discovered no one was home he began throwing the furniture around and breaking whatever he could get his hands on. Where the hell was Sam? What had they done to him? He swore if Grady hurt his brother even a little he was going to kill him.

Dean's cell phone suddenly rang and he pulled it from his pocket. He looked at the caller ID, it was Sam.

"Damn it Sammy where are you? You had me freaking out here."

"Your brother can't talk right now."

Dean's knuckles turned white as he clenched the phone in his hand.

"Grady you son of a bitch! If you hurt my brother…"

"He'll live…at least for now."

"Where is he? Let me talk to him."

"I don't think he feels like talking right now. I think it's better if you talk to him in person. He's here waiting for you…"

"Damn you Grady put him on the phone!"

Dean could hear a shuffling noise in the background as Grady held the phone up to Sam.

"Sammy?"

"D…Dean…."

Dean could barely hear his brother's voice.

"Sammy you okay?"

"Dean…don't listen to him…don't come…stay away…"

Dean could tell by Sam's voice that he had been hurt; he swallowed the lump in his throat as he listened to him.

"Sammy it will be okay, put Grady back on."

Grady, who had been listening in at Sam's end, pulled the phone away from Sam.

"Grady I'm going to rip your fucking heart out!" Dean shouted into the phone.

"You do something like that you'll never see your brother again."

"What the hell do you want?"

"I want you out of my town."

"What about my brother? I thought you said you wanted me to come to him."

"I changed my mind…I want you out of town; once I know you've left I'll let him go."

"Okay…okay I'll go, but if you hurt him I swear I'll be back and rip you a new one."

"I want you out of town tonight, and I want you to forget about the mermaid."

"It's a deal, you tell my brother to meet me at that old motel out on route eighty. I'll wait for him there."

"I'll keep him a day or two just to make sure you're gone then I'll release him." Grady hung up the phone before Dean could argue with him.

**Later**

Dean sped back to the motel and threw his and Sam's bag into the car then paid the manager and drove out of town. He knew Grady would have someone watching him and he had to make it look good. Sure enough, as soon as he pulled out of the motel lot a pair of headlights appeared behind him. He watched in the rear view mirror as the car followed him out onto the highway and toward route eighty.

Once Dean was about five miles out of town the car behind him turned back satisfied that he had indeed left town. Dean waited till the car disappeared around a bend in the road then turned off his headlights and spun his car around and followed it hoping it would lead him back to Sam.

About half an hour later the car pulled into a dark lane that led to a small cabin in a wooded area. Dean drove by then parked his car and stayed hidden behind bushes as he snuck up to the cabin. He cautiously crept up to one of the windows and peeked in. Grady and three of his men sat around a table while the man who had followed Dean spoke to them. Dean looked around the room and saw no sign of Sam. He then went from window to window his heart pounding in his chest when he didn't see his brother through any of them. He swore to himself that if these men hurt Sam he'd kill every one of them. Finally when he looked in the last window he saw Sam tied spread eagle to a bed, he appeared to be unconscious. Dean's face twisted with hate when he saw the blood and bruises on his brother's face, he must have put up one hell of a fight he thought. He knew the first thing he had to do was get Sam out of there; he'd take care of Grady and his men later. He breathed a sigh of relief when he tried the window and it slid open. He crawled in and went to his brother's side.

"Sammy?" When he gently shook him Sam's eyes flew open.

"Dean…." He gave his brother a small smile. "It's good to see you."

Dean gently touched a dark bruise on the side of Sam's face and could feel the hate in him rising.

"Those son of a bitches!" Dean swore under his breath. He could tell the men had really worked his brother over. "I'll kill those bastards!"

"Dean it's okay…let's just get out of here…We can deal with them later."

Dean took out his knife and began cutting through the ropes that bound Sam to the bed, but a noise in the hallway caused him to stop. He could hear voices getting closer and quickly slipped into the closet. He kept the door slightly opened and watched as Grady and his men entered the room.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews, glad you still like the story.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter eleven

Grady leaned down and smiled at Sam.

"Looks like you're all alone buddy, your brother took off without you."

"You jerk we were only trying to help you. If you try to catch that thing it will kill you."

"Still trying to make me believe that bullshit aren't you? That so called thing is going to make me a lot of money and I'm not letting you or your brother steal her away from me."

"How many times must I tell you…" Sam said frustrated. "we don't want to steal her from you…That thing is evil and has to be destroyed before she kills more people."

Grady reached down and grabbed Sam's hair and pulled his head back.

"No one is killing my meal ticket." He pulled out a knife and put it at Sam's throat. "I should slit your throat right now and dump your body in the pond, get you out of the way once and for all. Then if your brother comes looking for you, I'll do the same to him."

Dean watched as Grady made a quick shallow cut across Sam's throat and knew he had to react, if he cut deeper he could kill him. He kicked open the closet door and immediately took down the two closest men to him. As Dean fought Sam struggled to free himself in order to help but the ropes were thick and wouldn't budge. Dean then took on the next three men including Grady, but Grady managed to crawl over to Sam's side and once more put the knife at his throat as he pulled his head back.

"Stop or I'll slit your brother's throat!"

Blood was already trickling down Sam's throat from the previous cut and Dean knew if Grady cut him again it could be fatal.

Dean grabbed one of Grady's men and hooked his arm around the man's neck.

"Get away from my brother or I'll snap his neck!" He said glaring at Grady.

"Go ahead…I can always get more friends, but you can't get another brother." Grady pressed the knife into the cut that was already there.

Sam's eyes met Dean's and he gave his head a slight shake when he saw that Dean was about to let the man go.

"Dean…no…." He knew once his brother released the man Grady would have both of them.

"Sorry Sammy." Dean said as he let the man go, he couldn't take the chance that Grady would really kill his brother. One of the men pulled out a gun and stood behind Dean whose attention was still on Grady. "Just leave me and my brother go, if you want the mermaid she's all yours. We'll leave and you'll never see us again."

"Dean!" Sam tried to shout a warning to his brother but he was too late. The man behind Dean brought the gun down hard against the back of Dean's head. He fell to his knees fighting to stay conscious but it was impossible. He heard his brother cry out for him again before he gave into the blackness.

**Later**

Dean dreamt he was out fishing on a lake in Michigan with his Dad and Sam. He could feel the water rising and falling and could feel the cool night air on his arms. He looked over at his Dad and smiled as he held up a large bass he had just caught. His Dad smiled back proud of him, but then his image slowly started to fade.

"Dad!" Dean watched as his Dad faded completely away. He looked over at Sam who looked back at him sadly. Then he watched in horror as Sam too faded away and he was left alone in the boat. "Sammy! Dad!" He started to panic as he looked out over the lake not knowing where his family had gone. "Sammy!" He cried out into the darkness.

"Dean….Dean wake up…" Sam nudged his unconscious brother when he heard him call out.

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

Dean fought his way out of the blackness. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Sam's worried face. He then saw the bruises on his brother's face and it all came back to him. He tried to sit up but realized his hands were tied behind his back, his ankles were also tied. He was still a little dazed as he pushed himself up onto a seat across from Sam and realized they were in a boat. It was then he saw Grady and two of his men sitting across from him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked them as he struggled to free himself. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked over at the outcropping of rocks wondering what Grady was up to.

Grady smiled at him.

"We decided we were doing everything wrong. What we needed was a little bait to catch the girl."

Without another word Grady's men reached over and pushed Sam into the water. With his hands tied behind his back and his feet also tied, Sam struggled to keep his head above water. He tried to force himself not to panic; he knew if he did it would only make it worse and he needed to relax in order to keep his head above the water.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean kicked out at Grady who easily avoided him.

"Don't worry; if we don't catch her by using your brother, you're next.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate each of them.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter twelve

"Get him out of there you bastard!" Dean screamed at Grady as he watched his brother struggling to keep his head above the water. He'd surface for a breath of air then sink, then surface again. Dean flexed his wrist and activated a hidden knife he had on a cuff hidden up his sleeve, the knife popped out and he began cutting through the rope, but the rope was thick and he knew it could take minutes to get through it, minutes his brother might not have.

"Maybe all that splashing around the kid's doing will draw her to us." Grady said to his partners.

"That kid is going to drown tied up like that." Jack one of Grady's men said, he was having second thoughts about what they were doing.

"Jack's right Alex, if that kid dies we'll be wanted for murder." Bill the other man said.

"Not if we don't have any witnesses." Grady nodded toward Dean. "If the kid drowns we'll toss this one in with him."

Dean watched in horror as Sam's head kept going beneath the water for longer and longer periods. He knew Sam was growing weaker and soon wouldn't come up at all. But then he saw something that was even more horrifying, fish jumping out of the water as a large object began swimming towards his brother.

"Get him out of there! That thing is going to kill him!" Dean shouted as he frantically worked on his ropes.

Grady saw the disturbance in the water also and he motioned to his men to get the net ready.

"Wait till she's right on top of him!" Grady shouted. He and his men went to the side of the boat holding the net above the water.

"Get him out of there!" Dean knew the mermaid would be on Sam in a matter of seconds.

He watched, his heart pounding in his chest, as the mermaid surfaced briefly then grabbed Sam and began dragging him down deep into the water.

"Nooooooo!" Dean screamed as he watched his brother disappear.

"Get her!" Grady cried out as he and his men got ready to toss the net into the

water.

Dean did the only thing he could think of and that was to tip the boat over. He got to the side of the boat that Grady and his men were on then rolled over the side flipping the boat over with him.

He left himself sink into the water trying desperately to see some sign of Sam. He finally saw the mermaid, her arms locked around his brother, her lips on his. Sam put up no resistance and Dean felt a cold chill go through him. Was Sam already dead? He worked frantically on his ropes and could feel them start to loosen up….a few seconds later he finally broke free. He quickly brought his legs up and cut through the ropes around his ankles then swam toward Sam.

In the meantime Grady and his men were floundering around in the water trying to flip the boat back over.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch when I get hold of him!" Grady shouted as he looked around the water for Dean. "I don't want either of those boys getting out of this pond alive!"

Dean swam toward Sam but the mermaid was strong and wasn't about to release him. His lungs were crying out for air, but with one last desperate surge of strength he didn't know he had he was finally on her. He took his knife out and began stabbing her anywhere he could. He knew he couldn't kill her, he didn't have his salted knife with him, but he could at least hurt her hopefully enough that she would release his brother.

The mermaid used her strong tail to slap at him but he was relentless and didn't give up. He knew if he did Sam was as good as dead. Finally the mermaid let Sam go and his body slowly sank into the water. The mermaid knew there were other men in the water….men who might be easier pickings then this one. She swam off and within seconds had one of Grady's men underwater. She locked her lips on his and he finally stopped struggling as she sucked his life out of his body.

Dean had his full attention on Sam and didn't care what was happening to Grady or his men. They should have listened to him in the beginning and not been so blinded by the money they expected to make off of the creature.

He grabbed Sam's arm and swam toward the surface with him. Once at the surface Dean gasped in much needed air as he rolled Sam onto his back in the water and could see that Sam was already turning blue. He pinched his brother's nose shut and breathed into his mouth.

"Come on Sammy breathe!" He shouted as he gave his brother breath after breath.

Dean tried not to panic as Sam's unresponsive body floated in his arms. He tried to concentrate only on giving his brother the air he so desperately needed. Was Sam already dead? Had he been under too long? Tears flowed down Dean's face at the thought that he was too late and that Sam was gone.

"Damn it Sammy breathe!" Dean screamed into Sam's ear hoping that he was still in there somewhere and he could get through to him. "Don't you go doing this to me Sam! Don't you go leaving me!"

There was no response.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Once more thanks for the reviews, hope you still like the story.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter thirteen

"Sammy! Don't you go leaving me Sam! Don't you do that!" Dean screamed into his brother's lifeless face.

His heart pounded in his chest as tears continued rolling down his face. They had been through so much together and he couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. He tried to get the thought out of his mind…No, it wasn't going to end here. If he had any say in it Sam was going to die an old man in his bed years from now. He once more blew air into his brother's lungs.

"Damn it Sammy breathe! I know you're still in there! Breathe!"

Dean tried pressing on Sam's chest trying to restart his heart but floating in the water made it almost impossible to get the pressure he needed. He had to get his brother to shore. He grabbed Sam and began swimming with him toward the shoreline. He ignored the screams from Grady and his men, right now his only concern was his brother.

He pulled Sam's limp body up onto the shoreline then rolled him over to his side and cut his ropes away. He then laid Sam flat on his back and gave him two sharp blows to his heart. He then began CPR, alternating breathing for him with chest compressions.

Finally, in what seemed like hours but was actually only minutes, Sam began to cough up water. Dean rolled him onto his side and patted him on the back.

"Get it up Sammy…just get it up." Dean sat back exhausted but thankful that his brother was still alive.

"Ohhhhhh man…" Sam moaned as he continued throwing up water.

Dean pulled Sam up to a sitting position which would make it easier for him to breathe then sat behind him letting Sam lean back on him for support.

"Take it easy, just take it easy…I got ya." Dean said as he rubbed his brother's back.

Minutes later Sam was finally able to catch his breath and began breathing easier.

"What happened?...Did you get her?" He finally managed to get out between breaths.

"No, she got away."

"What about Grady?...What about those other men?"

"She took them all under Sam…there was nothing I could do."

"She killed all of them?" Sam looked out over the pond and could see the upturned boat floating on the now quiet pond.

"Looks that way."

"Well I guess Grady found out she wasn't what she seemed. … poor guy…"Even though the man had tried to use him for bait Sam felt bad that he had died. He knew Grady had no idea what he had been dealing with.

His brother wasn't so forgiving.

"That bastard almost got you killed Sam! He deserves what he got." Dean remembered watching his brother go overboard with his hands tied behind his back. The son of a bitch had almost killed his brother, no; he had no sympathy for Grady or his men.

"Dean, he didn't know…He was a jerk, sure, but I think he honestly thought that he could capture her and show her. He thought we were trying to steal her from him, he obviously had no idea what he was dealing with."

"I'm not going to sit here arguing with you about Grady. We need to get you back to the motel so you can rest."

"I'm fine Dean."

"You're not fine Sam…you swallowed half the pond. You need to take it easy for a day or two, give your lungs time to dry out a little."

Sam gave a small smile and looked down shaking his head. When was Dean going to stop thinking that he always had to take care of him?…Probably never he thought.

"What about Grady and his buddies?"

"What about them?"

"Well we can't just let them in there without telling anyone."

"They're gone Sam…there's nothing we can do for them. When you're feeling better we need to get back here and end that thing, but for now you need to rest. Besides, if we call the cops now they'll tape off the whole area and we'll never be able to get to her."

"But what if they're still alive? What if we can still help them?"

Dean looked out over the now eerily quiet pond and could see no signs of life, only the overturned boat floating alone in the tranquil water. He knew the mermaid had drug Grady and her men deep into the water and by now they were either dead or dying, even if he tried to help them it would be almost impossible to find any of them in time.

"They're gone Sam, there's nothing we can do." Dean was surprised that he felt a little guilty for not even trying to help the men. They had almost killed his brother but like Sam had said they didn't know what they were dealing with. But Dean knew there was really nothing he could have done, it was either them or his brother, and he knew Sam would always come out on top.

"Let's get out of here." Dean stood up then reached down and helped his brother up. Sam swayed a little, still feeling the affects of the near drowning, and fell against Dean.

"I got ya…" Dean said as he put his brother's arm around his shoulder and helped him to the street. They would have to either walk or hitch a ride back to their car, but at least they were both alive and would deal with the mermaid later.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter fourteen

They hitched a ride back to their car then spent the rest of the night at the motel. Dean listened as Sam got up throughout the night and headed into the bathroom to throw up. He knew his brother had swallowed a lot of water and should really be checked out by the hospital, but hospitals meant cops and cops were one thing they tried to avoid at all costs. The sun had just started to come up when he heard his brother come back to the bedroom from his last trip to the bathroom.

"You okay?" He asked looking over at Sam.

"Yeah." Sam said as he moaned softly as he climbed into his bed.

"You get any sleep?"

"A little."

"Maybe I should run you into the hospital and get some antibiotics or something, who knows what kind of germs you might have picked up in that water."

"I'm fine Dean." Sam said as he rolled over. "Go back to sleep."

Dean knew that he and his brother were alike, neither one of them would go to the hospital unless they absolutely had to and even then they'd still have to be dragged there screaming and fighting. He couldn't even begin to count the nights he had laid awake worrying about Sam or how many nights Sam had been up worrying about him. He decided he wasn't going to force the issue, he'd keep an eye on Sam and if he got worse he'd hogtie him and throw him in the trunk and take him to the hospital if he had to.

**Later the following day**

They had spent the day at the motel only going out to get something to eat and to drive by the pond to see if the bodies had been discovered yet…they hadn't. As darkness began to fall Dean packed their bags into the car.

"Well it's now or never."

"What if we can't find her? What if can't kill her tonight?"

"Well then we're going to have to leave and come back another time. Once Grady and his buddies bodies turn up I'm sure the cops are going to be keeping their eyes on the pond and we won't be able to get near it. If we don't end this tonight we can't chance hanging around town. The people in the bar know we've been arguing with him and his friends and once they find them dead they're going to come looking for us."

Sam knew what Dean said was true; they'd be no use to anyone if they were thrown in jail.

They paid for the motel then headed out toward the pond where they still had their rented boat.

They then quietly rowed out to the outcropping of rocks and tied the boat to a tree that hung out over the rocks. Dean got his knife laced with salted pellets ready and also pulled an underwater flashlight out of his bag. He then handed Sam the gun filled with hollow bullets filled with salt.

"If she comes up to the surface make sure you hit her directly in her heart."

"Hold on a minute!" Sam looked at Dean. "What do you mean if she comes to the surface?... I'm going down there with you."

"Like hell you are! Sam you almost drowned yesterday and you've been up all night puking your guts out. You're not in any kind of shape to go after her underwater."

"Well I'm not letting you go down there by yourself. What if there are more of them?"

"I already told you they're solitary creatures, she'll be by herself. All I got to do is get close enough to her and stick her."

"That's easier said then done. All she has to do is trap you underwater and you're dead."

"Ye of little faith Sam." Dean said smiling. "She gets close to me…" He held up his knife. "… she's dead."

"I don't like it, it's too dangerous. I'm going with you or it's not going to happen."

"Sam…I need you on the surface. If she gets away from me you need to be ready with the gun."

"But…"

"But nothing…this is the only way we can do this, the only way to cover both ends."

Sam knew Dean was right; they had to get rid of the mermaid tonight before she killed again.

"Okay." Sam didn't like the idea but he knew there was no way he'd be able to talk Dean out of it. "But you be careful, and watch your back."

"I will…and you watch your back too, she could still be in her human form. You see her….you blast her." Dean said as he slipped over the side of the boat.

The brother's eyes met for a few seconds and both saw the concern for the other in that brief glance. Then they gave each other a quick nod and Dean slipped below the surface.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter fifteen

Sam felt a cold chill wash over him as his brother disappeared under the water. What if he didn't come back? What if he never saw him again? Sam leaned over the boat and tried to look down into the murky water but it was impossible. He knew Dean could only hold his breath for about five minutes before needing air. He looked at his watch, if Dean wasn't up in five minutes he didn't care what his brother said he was going to jump in after him. Even if they both got killed, it was better then sitting here doing nothing, and at least they would die together.

Four and a half minutes later Sam began pulling off his shoes and getting ready to jump in the water. But a few seconds later Dean surfaced for a breath of air then dived under again. Sam let out the breath of air he hadn't realized he had been holding; at least his brother was still okay.

**Under the water**

Dean had spent the last five minutes looking for any kind of cave or an entrance to a cave under the rocks. He had finally found what looked like an opening in the rocks which might lead to a cave but had to go back up for air. When he surfaced he glanced over at the boat and was relieved to see Sam still in the boat. He could see that his brother looked worried but at least he hadn't jumped in after him. Dean dove back under the water and swam to the opening. He figured he'd go in just so far and if he couldn't find a cave within two minutes he'd have to resurface for air. If the cave itself was too far back in the rocks he knew he'd never make it without scuba gear. Finally he saw what appeared to be light coming from deeper in the rocks. He swam toward it then popped up inside an underwater cave. He climbed out onto a rock to catch his breath as he looked around the cave which seemed to glow in the dark. It wasn't quite as bright as being outside in the daylight but it was light enough to see clearly. He soon spotted three bodies, two lying on a rock, the third floating face down in the water. He cautiously made his way over to them being careful to make sure it wasn't some kind of a trap. When he got there he saw that Grady was one of them men lying on the rock, he was still alive, but both his friends were dead. He looked around for any sign of the mermaid as he nudged Grady with his foot.

"Wake up…Come on wake up…" He said softly as he nudged him a little harder.

Grady moaned then opened his eyes. At first he looked at Dean confused and not sure what was going on, but his memory soon returned and he bolted upright.

"Where is she?" He asked as he looked around, his eyes wide with fear.

"I don't know." Dean said, he then added. "She's a little bit more then you expected huh?"

"Okay, so you were right." Grady said with no hint of apology in his tone. "What do we do now? How do we get out of here?"

"What do you mean we? I should leave your sorry ass here for almost killing my brother."

"Okay I'm sorry, I thought you guys were out to steal her, I didn't know…"

Dean wasn't about to except his apology which he knew wasn't.

"I'm going to kick your ass later for what you did to my brother, but right now I got to get you back to the surface."

Grady looked down at his friend's bodies.

"Are they dead?"

"Yeah…but you can always get new friends right?" Dean said repeating the words Grady had said to him back at the cabin. "Come on…" Dean reached down and pulled Grady up. "I got to get you back to the boat…You can swim can't you?"

"Yeah, but what about that thing?"

"Just stay by my side and let me worry about her."

Dean then led Grady into the water and out of the cave.

**The boat**

Sam looked at his watch and could feel his heart start to pound in his chest. It was a little over five minutes and Dean still wasn't back. He knew Dean would be mad at him but he couldn't wait any longer. He took a spare knife and another underwater flashlight out of their bag and dove into the water.

The water was murky and the flashlight only illuminated a short distance in front of him but it was still better then swimming in total darkness. Within two minutes he felt like his lungs were going to break. He knew his near drowning yesterday was the cause of it; normally he could stay under as long as Dean. He swam to the surface and gulped in a breath of air.

"Dean!" He shouted out into the night hoping maybe his brother had climbed ashore somewhere but he was only met by silence. Convinced that Dean was in trouble he dove under the water again ignoring the sharp pain in his chest. He was determined to find his brother, or die trying.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

This is the final chapter; I hope you liked the story. Also thanks to all of you who took the time to leave reviews, I appreciate each of them.

**The Mermaid**

Chapter sixteen

As Dean swam with Grady he kept a constant lookout for the mermaid but didn't see any sign of her. Maybe she was already out looking for another victim he thought as he led Grady out of the cave and toward the surface. Or maybe she had killed enough tonight and was holed up somewhere else watching them….he had no way of knowing. He figured he'd get Grady safe in the boat with Sam then go back down and wait in the cave, he hoped that the mermaid would return to her lair sooner or later. He knew Sam would be worried because he had been down longer then expected but now at least he could tell him about the cave and that there was air in it and that he shouldn't worry if he isn't back right away.

"You stay in the boat with my brother; you'll be safe with him he knows what to do if she surfaces." Dean told Grady as he led him toward the boat. But as he neared the boat his heart started pounding in his chest when he noticed Sam was no longer in it.

"Sam! Sammy!" Dean shouted as he spun around in the water trying to find his brother. Had Sam jumped in the water to help him or had the mermaid taken his brother from the boat, Dean had no way of knowing. He pushed Grady up into the boat then began swimming back toward the rocks.

"Where are you going?" Grady asked as he sat nervously in the boat, all he wanted was to be safe back on shore..

"Wait there, I got to find my brother!" Dean shouted back to him.

"You got to be crazy! We got to get out of here now!"

"I'm not leaving here without my brother!" Dean said as he continued toward the rocks.

"If you want to die that's fine with me, but you're not taking me with you!" Grady started the boat then started to head back to the opposite shore.

Dean knew there was no way to stop him and right now he didn't even care, all he cared about was finding Sam.

**The Cave**

Sam felt like his lungs were about to burst and was about to head for the surface for more air when he saw what looked like it might be an entrance to a cave. He swam toward it then entered the shaft which led to the cave itself. He was just beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake and should have surfaced for more air before entering the shaft when he suddenly popped up inside the cave and gasped in a much needed breath. He immediately started looking around for Dean as he caught his breath.

"Dean! Dean you in here?" He called out praying he'd hear an answer because if his brother wasn't here he had no idea where he was.

Sam looked around the cave and winced when he saw the two bodies of Grady's friends. He had started toward them when he heard the sound of air bubbles rushing to the surface behind him. He spun around and watched as a dark shape began to rise to the surface. He pulled out his knife and was just about to attack it when Dean's head suddenly popped above the water.

"Whoa!" Dean said holding up his hands when he saw Sam standing in front of him with his knife raised and ready to strike.

"Dean!" Sam lowered the knife as he broke into a big relieved smile. "Where the hell were you? You had me scared to death, I thought she had you."

"I found the cave, and I found Grady."

"Was he dead?"

"No…I took him back to the boat….where you should be."

"I thought maybe you needed a little help."

"You should have stayed in the boat Sam, you almost died yesterday. You shouldn't be out here swallowing more water."

"Well I thought you were dying…or dead. I didn't have much of a choice; I had to come and try to save your sorry ass." Sam said as he looked around the cave. "Did you see her?"

"I don't think she's here, I think she might be out looking for dessert."

"So what do we do?"

"_We_ shouldn't be doing anything, I should be doing this…Your ass should be back on that boat, but unfortunately Grady took off with it."

"You're kidding?... After you saved him he still screwed you over?"

"Yep…nothing we can do about it now, he's long gone."

"Oh that's just great." Sam knew it was going to be a long swim back to the car.

"Well that's the least of our problems. We still have a murdering mermaid to take care of."

"You think she'll come back?"

"This is her home Sam….she'll be back."

**Three hours later**

Sam, still exhausted from his near drowning the day before, had fallen asleep on a rock while Dean sat guard. Dean could feel his eyes grow heavy and fought to stay awake, but soon he too fell into a light sleep. But the sound of splashing woke him up a short time later just in time to see the mermaid, in her true form, reach up and pull Sam into the water. Sam fought back but he was too weak and the mermaid too strong, soon she had her lips over his and began pulling him deep into the water. Dean dove in after them but the mermaid was fast and had already pulled Sam to the center of the cave making it almost impossible to find them. Dean began to panic when he couldn't find his brother but he knew either both of them would be leaving the cave alive or neither of them would.

He surfaced briefly for a quick breath and as he did he noticed air bubbles coming from the middle of the cave. He dove under the water and swam toward the bubbles. He finally found the mermaid who had Sam locked in a death grip. He tried prying his brother from her grasp but it was impossible. He did the only thing he could, he went behind her and plunged the knife deep into her back hoping he'd hit her heart. Her body arched in pain and she angrily pushed Sam away and turned her attention to Dean.

Sam was barely conscious but he managed to swim to the surface for a breath of air then quickly dove back under. He could see his brother struggling with the mermaid as he tried to keep his face away from her deadly lips. But Sam could tell Dean was growing weaker as his lungs ran out of air. With a burst of speed he didn't even think he had left in him Sam was on them in seconds. He began stabbing at the mermaid and finally managed to pull Dean away from her then got between them giving Dean time to surface for air.

Dean made it to the surface and gasped in much needed air. He knew if he had been down there a few seconds longer he would have drowned. He reached for his knife then swore when he realized it was still embedded in the mermaid's back and that he no longer had a weapon. But his attention was soon turned toward the surface of the water as he saw it begin to turn a bright crimson red.

"Sam!" Dean cried out as he dove under the water. He finally found Sam trying to make it to the surface, a bloody cut across his chest turning the water around him red. Dean swam to him and pulled him to the surface then over to a rock where he helped him out of the water. Sam sat on the rock trying to catch his breath while Dean examined his wound.

"I'm okay…it's not that bad." Sam said as he looked over Dean's shoulder towards the water. "I got her Dean…I got her in her heart."

Dean looked back at the bloody water.

"So some of that blood is hers?"

"Yeah." Sam gave a little embarrassed smile. "She hit me with her tail and I cut myself with my own knife, but when she moved in for the kill…I stabbed her."

"She's dead?"

"I don't know….I think so. I pushed the knife all the way in; she couldn't live through that…no one could."

"I better check." Dean said as he stood up. "You wait here." He added when he saw Sam stand up.

"Dean…."Sam began to protest.

"Wait here Sam, I'll be right back." Dean turned and dove into the water.

Sam waited anxiously on the rock, if Dean didn't surface in a minute or two he'd go in after him. But a little while later Dean surfaced and Sam breathed a sigh of relief then reached down and offered him his hand. Dean grabbed his brother's hand and pulled himself up onto the rock.

"I couldn't find her."

"Dean I shoved the knife all the way into her heart, there's no way she could still be alive."

"Well maybe she swam off to die somewhere else because she's not down there."

"Let's hope so." Sam looked over at the two bodies of Grady's friends. "What are we going to do about them?"

"We'll take them out and leave them on the shoreline, and then we'll make an anonymous call to the cops once we're out of town."

"If only Grady would have listened to us…his friends would still be alive."

"Grady doesn't give a rat's ass about his friends; he was only out for the money."

"Well hopefully he learned a lesson."

"And what's that?"

"Not to mess with things you don't understand."

"I doubt it. Grady's a jerk and jerks never learn." Dean once more checked Sam's wound and determined that even though it was bloody it was just a superficial cut and he could take care of it later. "Let's get out of here."

They each grabbed one of the bodies and pulled it into the water with them then dove under and swam out of the cave.

**Later**

They left the bodies on the shoreline then stood at the edge of the pond and looked out over the water. There was no disturbance in the water which they hoped was a good sign. Hopefully it meant the mermaid was dead, but they knew it could also mean that she was alive and back on shore looking for another victim. Sam had been positive he had stabbed her in her heart and Dean knew the salt on the knife should dissolve her heart and kill her, but he also knew you couldn't prove anything without a body. They had spotted their boat on the shoreline and figured that Grady had made it to shore and had probably already gone into town to tell his story. It would be only a matter of minutes before the cops and the curious came out to investigate and they didn't want to be anywhere near an investigation.

As they walked to their car Sam smiled over at Dean.

"You know they're going to think Grady is insane."

Dean gave a little laugh.

"I hope so."

Grady had almost killed his brother and it gave him pleasure knowing Grady would now be considered a fool in his own town. Instead of being the tough guy he thought he was people would now laugh at him when he told them his story of a murdering mermaid. He'd probably be laughed right out of town.

The brothers climbed in the car and pulled out onto the road.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"First we got to get out of the county and get cleaned up." Dean looked over at Sam and smiled. "Then we need to get something to eat, I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Sam gave a little smile as he shook his head, he couldn't believe after all they had just been through Dean was already thinking about food.

"But this time I'm hungry for a fish sandwich."

"Fish? You hate fish."

"Yeah I know…weird huh?" Dean grinned back at his brother.

Sam smiled as he closed his eyes and settled in for a long drive.

The End


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